There is no doubt that the country of Egypt has had a long and cherished history. Geographically located at the crossroads of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the middle east, Egypt's strategic position on the globe has tempted and been sought after by countless empires, regimes, and kingdoms throughout history. Yet the Egyptians have still managed to keep their unique identity. This is no more evident than in the events that occurred in 1952, when Egypt finally gained independence from the British. With the country seemingly back in the hands of the Egyptian people it would seem that life would begin to improve for the majority of poor Egyptian citizens. However, in reality it has been quite the opposite. Since the revolution, Egypt has seen numerous wars that have come to have a direct negative impact on the political, economic, social, and foreign relation aspects of Egyptian society and has been the main reason to the countries" stifled growth. The notion of war has also managed to grip Egypt in a way that has sent her into a never-ending spiral of war leading to even more war, evolving from wars of occupation, to Arab-Israeli wars, to religious civil wars.
Although Egypt gained independence from Britain in 1952, they could not escape two aspects that would come to shape the region until the present day. First, was the notion that the key to political control lied in security and police forces. Typically the British spent two-thirds of total expenditure in this area, which in turn left little for health, education, welfare, etc. This concept would later mirror the administrations policy after independence. The second legacy Great Britain left for the Egyptians, and the rest of the Arab world was their signing of the Balfour declaration, and the consequential implications of the birth of Israel. The history between the two countries is ancient and complex, and the new situation would come to be one of the most primary global issues since their creation.